1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle anti-theft apparatus and method in which an IC card is used for preventing the theft of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has hitherto been known a vehicle anti-theft apparatus including a portable transmitter, a receiver, and an engine control section. The portable transmitter has a memory that stores an individual identification ID, a CPU that converts the individual identification ID in the memory into a data signal which can be radio transmitted, and a transmitter part that transmits the data signal from the CPU through radio communications. The receiver has a receiver part that receives the data signal from the portable transmitter, and a CPU that compares the individual identification ID of the data signal thus received with the individual collation identification ID stored in the memory, and outputs only a coincidence signal to the engine control section. The engine control section has a CPU that manages engine operating environments and performs the management of a vehicle security mechanism.
When the data signal is sent from the portable transmitter to the receiver, the receiver makes a comparison between a transmitter side ID and a receiver side ID, and outputs only a coincidence signal to the engine control section thereby to make the engine into a start standby state (see, for example, a first patent document: Japanese utility model application laid-open No. H06-74537).
Also, there has hitherto been known a rental car system which includes at least one keyless remote controller transmitter to which individual ID information is given and which sends a predetermined unlock signal containing at least ID information in accordance with an unlock operation, at least one vehicle having a keyless remote controller receiver which collates, upon reception of the predetermined unlock signal containing ID information, the ID information contained in the unlock signal to the use permission ID information that has been beforehand registered and set by a vehicle management center through a radio communication section, and unlocks door lock if the result of the collation is a match or coincidence, and the vehicle management center that sends the ID information of a keyless remote controller transmitter held by a reserved or booked user to the keyless remote controller receiver of the vehicle to be lent through the radio communication section (see, for instance, a second patent document: Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2002-13326).
In the conventional vehicle anti-theft apparatus as described in the first patent document, there is a problem that it is necessary to provide the special portable transmitter capable of communicating with the receiver, thus resulting in an increased cost.
In addition, in the conventional rental car system as described in the second patent document, there is a problem that should the ID information of the keyless remote controller transmitter be deciphered and the vehicle be stolen, the theft vehicle might be illegally used. Further, there is also another problem that when the ID information of the keyless remote controller transmitter is registered in the keyless remote controller receiver, it is necessary to provide the vehicle management center, thereby increasing the cost of the system.